Ch 2 Encountering and probing the past Flashcards
Ant1000 World Archaeology
A fluxate gradiometer is?
a device that
measures minor fluctuations
in the earth’s magnetic field
that may result from alterations in the soil,
ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is?
an electromagnetic pulse is aimed into the ground
‘We can break archaeological evidence down into the following categories…..
artefacts, ecofacts, and human skeletons.
What does Trace Element Analysis tell us
Determines the geographic source of the materials
through the analysis of small or “trace” concentrations of elements or chemicals in those raw materials
shows where ancient people obtained their raw materials from
through a process called trace element analysis,
Neutron Activation
Analysis is?
Is a Form of trace element analysis.
When the artefacts’ chemistry matches that of a source area, it is concluded that the ancient people obtained the material from the chemically matching source.
NAA produces a chemical signature for a raw material by bombarding it with neutrons.
X-Ray Fluorescence is a technique used for?
A technique for
identifying the chemical makeup
of a raw material.
What is experimental replication,
the process of attempting to
authentically re-create ancient artefacts,
What is Morphology:
Literally, the study of form.
An analysis of the shape and form of skeletons or artefacts.
morphology—its form, what it looked like
osteological comparative collections are?
bone libraries,
where ancient specimens can be compared to known, labelled specimens
Coprolites are?
Fossilized faeces,
useful in the
reconstruction of an ancient diet.
PALYNOLOGY is?
Palynology is the identification of plants
through the remains of their pollen grains.
What is the C3 Pathway?
The photosynthetic process employed by most trees.
In the C3 pathway,
a radioactive isotope of carbon, 13C,
is differentially filtered out.
What is the C4 Pathway?
The photosynthetic process employed by most grasses and sedges.
In the C4 pathway,
the radioactive isotope of carbon, 13C,
is in higher concentrations
than in plants that follow the C3 pathway.
Epiphyseal Fusion:
The epiphyses of each long bone join to the diaphysis during the process of physical maturation.
(EPI-FIFI-SIS)
(DY-AF-A-SIS)
Strontium isotope analysis, provides a useful way of measuring
Residential origins and migration patterns
of ancestral humans
When we are born, each of the long
bones is in three sections: What are they
a shaft, or diaphysis, (dia-fifi-sis)
two endcaps, or epiphyses. (epi-fifi-sis)
A process called epiphyseal fusion,
the shafts and endcaps fuse to one another during growth at more or less set times during our teen years;
this fusion reflects maturity and full growth
Epiphyses are
The endcaps of the long bones.
The epiphyses join at the ends of the diaphysis of each long bone.
Paleopathology is
The study of
ancient disease, trauma, or dietary deficiency.
Hominin skeletons often bear evidence of these.
Mt Vesuvius erupted when?
79 A.D August 24
- remained covered for 1500 yrs. until 1740
when workers digging a channel found the remains.
When analysing artefacts what things are we wanting to know
where the raw material came from
how the items were made
how they were used
the social context in which they were made and used
When 13C concentration is low, what dominated?
Trees
Carbon Isotope Analysis is?
the analysis of c12 & C13
in a bone or soil sample.
It is useful in dietary and environmental reconstruction
because different plants and grasses use c12 and c13 differently
Plants produce a non organic reside made up of microscopic mineral particles called?
Phytoliths (FIFA-LITHS)
microscopic siliceous particle forms by plants
Highly resistant to decomposition
unique to each plant species,
can tell what was growing in the area
what are two types of Oxygen Isotopes
16O & 18O
O16 is lighter then o18
the lighter isotope evaporates faster
when o16 in foram shells is low it indicates what?
the world temperature in cooling
When O16 in foram shells is high it indicates what?
The world temperatures are warmer
Human bones can tell us what?
How we walked
what kinds of climates they adapted too
what foods they were eating
the level of nutrition
what diseases and traumas were suffered
What are some uniquely human features of human bones?
the position of the point of connection,
between the top of the spinal column and the base of the cranium,
this reflects the pattern of walking on 2 feet or four
The Element Strontium (Sr) can be used to identify where you were born how?
By the levels of trace elements in the soil,
transfers into plants.. we eat them
teeth are formed and the enamel reflects the concentration of the isotopes
bones show trace elements for last 10 years
What is Stratigraphic Layering?
The layering of the earths surface
Radiometric dating is?
A dating technique
based on the known rates of decay
of several radioactive (unstable) isotopes
of common elements like
carbon, uranium and potassium/argon
Any date where a year, or a range of years, can be applied to an site or artifact is called?
Absolute Date or chronometric,
meaning, literally, that in its application we are attempting to measure time
Relative dating refers to
a date that
places fossils or a site
in a sequence with other specimens
K/Ar dating is what?
Potassium Argon dating Argon/Argon dating is more accurate and relied on more often.
Argon/Argon dating measures what?
the amount of Argon 40 build up in volcanic rock.
extremely accurate , to within .25% of the date of a known object
What is the half life of potassium decay to argon?
1.25 Billion years
Describe what the numbers mean in c12
there are 12 particles in the carbons atom’s nucleus
6 positively charged particles - protons
6 neutral particles - neutrons
this is a stable isotope
what happens when solar particles smash into free neutrons, that then collide with nitrogen atoms in the earths atmosphere
what is created?
C14 carbon 14
14 particles in its nucleus
6 Protons and 8 neutrons
this is an unstable isotope
Carbon dioxide is produce by combining what?
oxygen and C14 & C12
what is the half life of C14?
5730 yrs
same as potassium
What does C14 revert back too while its decaying?
its nitrogen atom from which it was formed
What is the average length of time we can attribute C14 dating too?
50, 000 to 60,000 years
Solar fluctuations cause variations in C14 production
describe this and what can be done to address this issue
more c14 production leads to dated items producing a younger age
Less c14 produces older dates
Calibration curves can address this issue
What is a calibration curve and why is it useful
calibration curves come from the average age of deposited layers in a lake,
these carbon date ranges can then be converted into actual calendar years
Dendrochronology is?
tree ring dating.
an extremely accurate biological dating technique
What are the four factors that apply to Dendrochronology?
- Trees add growth every year.
- The width of the ring is controlled by environmental conditions e.g. rain or temperature
- the sequence of tree rings width over a long period of time is unique
- all trees in the same area reflect the same pattern of changes through time in tree ring width.
Explain how the master sequence for tree rings works
by determining where the individual ring sequence overlaps with a master sequence, the life span of the tree can be fixed in time.
What is Luminescence dating
measures the amount of energy that is trapped in material recovered at sites as a result of natural radioactive decay in the surrounding soil
by using heat to release the energy ( thermo-luminescence, TL) or by laser light( Optically Stimulated Luminescence, OSL)
